


Wolff Parkinson White

by WriterofGotham



Series: Wolff Parkinson White [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Arrhythmia, Bruce... tries, Dick is a great big brother, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Hurt/Comfort, I may add a few more chapters, Jack and Janet are good parents (What!), Medical, Medical Conditions, Tim doesn't become Robin, Tim is stalker, but honestly I am terrible with stories that aren't one shots, heart problems, no editing we die like robins, not fun times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 09:49:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15704790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterofGotham/pseuds/WriterofGotham
Summary: What if for some reason Tim couldn't become Robin?





	1. Chapter 1

When Timothy Drake was born he was the picture of health in newborn. His parents hired the best doctors and nurses to look after him. He had the rosy cheeks, baby soft skin, and adoring parents. As a toddler he was the perfect child for his fast-paced parents, he never said no to nap time, he was always sweet and listened to them, or the nanny. They couldn't have wanted for a better child or heir. He didn't run around causing trouble and raising cane like the other kids his age did. He took more naps and was still curious, but never like the other kids. Good breeding did that to a child they agreed as they watched him fall asleep in the back of the limo on the way to a party.

It was only when he grew to be older they demanded all A's and a certain late-night habit of following Batman and Robin kept him up late and he drank coffee to substitute sleep. His parent's just wanted the best for him he told himself as he felt his heart palpitate as he sat and studied. Tim still chased Batman and Robin, but all of his endurance training and running left him tired with no results other than making him feel like he was going to die.

He wondered how hard Dick and Jason had to train to be Robin. Jason was probably suffering from malnutrition so he didn't have an easy road of training. Dick was gifted with being an incredibly acrobat so his training was almost intact. Tim didn't understand how other kids his age could do so much and he just felt weak.

Jason died. Bruce and Dick were still fighting and Tim... still couldn't run a mile without tachycardia and getting dizzy. Tim almost told his parents, but all his school physical came back that he was in the peak of health. He was being ridiculous if his parents did know his dad would be disappointed. Jack was hoping Tim would take interest in sports and how could he when he got dizzy from running?

Tim watched as Bruce became more violent and less concerned about justice. He knew he had to do something. Tim took a bus to Bludhaven and found Dick Grayson's apartment the elevator was broken by the time Tim ran up the stairs he was short of breath and had to sit on the top of the stairs for a minute before he embarrassed himself in front of Dick Grayson. Tim could finally breath normally and his heart rate came down he knocked on Dick Grayson's door.

"I'm here to talk about Batman, Nightwing," Tim announced in a stage whisper.

The rest was history. Dick refused to move back to Gotham and Tim was out of options. Bruce needed to be grounded in a way that Alfred couldn't do, and Dick refused to do again. Tim did the only thing he could think of he went to Bruce and told him everything all the ways that Batman helped people when he was being Batman and not a grief-fueled vigilante. Tim told him about how much he looked up to him and Robin, but he had to stop. He had to start being the right kind of Batman again, not the one that used excessive violence and didn't resemble a hero anymore.

Bruce was angry and kicked him out. Tim was accustomed to the anger of not doing what people wanted so he went home and started to plan. He had to get Batman to listen to him. Tim fell asleep soon after he crashed in his room, it wasn't until later that evening when he woke up. The news was going crazy over a breaking story that involved Batman, Nightwing, and Black Mask. WIthout thinking he raced to Wayne Manor. Tim would swear to this day that Alfred knew he was coming.

The old butler had a mix of Dick and Jason's Robin suits ready for him. Tim quickly put them on as his heart raced with excitement. He found Bruce and Dick tied up by one Black Mask's thugs. Tim raced to untie them when they both were free Tim watched in amazement as they took Black Mask and his hired thugs out with little difficulty they weren't breathing hard or anything. It amazed him at how easy they made it look to how hard it was for him.

Bruce and Dick came back to him after all the thugs were unconscious. "You need Robin," Tim told him as he looked at Bruce blank face.

"It looks like I do."

Dick broke out in a huge grin, "Welcome to the club!"

Tim's heart felt like it could burst as his chest started to hurt. Joy made him feel weird, apparently.

Bruce had taken him to train as Robin even if Tim felt like pre-serum Steve Rogers he worked hard and it didn't seem like enough he was always exhausted even after his body should have gotten used to the work. It wasn't until he walked in the cave one afternoon and was in the middle of talking to Alfred and passed completely out that they realized that for all appearances Tim might not be healthy.

Alfred was caught off guard and couldn't catch the boy before he fell on the training mats. He tried to rouse the boy to no avail, Alfred hit the panic button that alerted Bruce and Dick that something was wrong. In a matter of minutes, they came running down to the cave to see Alfred and an embarrassed Tim laying on the mats.

"What's going on? Why did you press the panic button?" Bruce demanded.

"Master Timothy collapsed for no reason. He came to only a few seconds ago," Alfred explained.

"Are you o.k.? Do you pass out like that often?" Dick asked as he looked at Tim's clammy, pale features.

"I think I'm alright, I just got really dizzy I thought it would go away, but it didn't. The next thing I knew I'm on my back," Tim said as he slowly sat up and hugged his legs.

Dick walked over to him, "I'm going to stand behind you in case you pass out again, o.k."

"What kind of medical history do you have? Did you eat breakfast this morning?" Bruce asked trying to think of reasons a healthy teenager would suddenly pass out.

"I had a banana protein smoothie. As far as I know, I'm healthy I really don't know why I passed out," Tim reasoned.

"We'll do a CT scan you hit your head pretty hard, a full blood work panel, and any other tests Leslie calls for," Bruce said as he pulled out his cell phone to call her.

Alfred and Dick both helped Tim up and kept a hand on him in case he went to pass out again. The CT scan showed that his head was fine and the blood work was normal.

Leslie checked Tim over and wanted an EKG done. Alfred and Leslie put the cold stickers on Tim's chest, legs, and arms. In a flash the computer screen lit up with squiggles Tim watched as Leslie's face went from blank to intrigued.

"Do you get tired often?" Leslie asked as she went back and forth from watching the screen to looking at Tim.

"Yeah, I've never had an issue about falling asleep. Little things can wear me out," Tim answered honestly.

"Does your heart pound at times for no reason?" Leslie asked as the batfamily exchanged bewildered looks.

"Sometimes and if I do too much I get short of breath," Tim admitted.

"It looks like you have Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome. It means that your heart has an extra electrical pathway this causes you to have tachycardia, to be dizzy when you sit up to fast and do not have much endurance when you work out. Now that you know you shouldn't work out anymore. Don't do anything that would elevate your heart rate, no caffeine, or excessive sugar. You'll need to get plenty of rest and avoid stress," Leslie continued.

"Wait a minute, I have a heart condition?" Tim asked, sure he got tired easily and his heart raced at times but it happened all of his life that wasn't normal?

"You have Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome it's a heart condition you were born with it. It's rare only two in a thousand people have it. There is a corrective surgery that can fix it, but not everyone is an ideal candidate for it. I can send you the links for some helpful websites on how to take care of yourself," Leslie offered.

"What are mom and dad going to say?" Tim asked as his eyes went wide at the possibility that he wasn't the perfectly healthy child they always thought he was. Tim pulled the stickers off and detached the wires. "Are you sure?" Tim asked hoping that Leslie was wrong.

"I'm sure. I've been studying EKGs and this is a textbook WPW. You said it yourself you fit the symptoms," Leslie explained. "I will refer you to a cardiologist so you can get a second opinion."

"I'm only twelve and I have heart problems," Tim said defeatedly.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Leslie apologized.

"This means that I can't be Robin. Mom and Dad have no clue. How am I going to get up with them they are in the middle of Africa?" Tim started to ramble thinking about all the things that having a heart condition prevented him from doing.

"It's not the end of the world. You can't get rid of us that easily," Dick said as he bear-hugged Tim.

"You still want me?" Tim asked confused.

"Yes, we still want you," Bruce said realizing that Tim could be so much more than any of the other Robins before him even if the boy himself didn't realize it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim learns that WPW is livable, even if giving up coffee is miserable. Jack and Janet have a shock at the fact that their son isn't perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> personal note
> 
> I am finally done with my phlebotomy clinicals! 140hrs, 146 fingersticks, 119 venipunctures, and too many 4:30 am mornings I am done with this part of my college career. I won't get a job at the hospital because they hired new people in the middle of when I started, but I have a job offerish so really praying and hoping it works out. I am so glad I don't have to work for free or deal with my teacher anymore.

Bruce and Tim had a long talk after finding out about the heart condition. Bruce hadn't been lying when he said that Tim could be better than any Robin before him... in an area that Jason and Dick didn't have the head for. Just by seeing how Tim found out about their identities, he had the makings of a brilliant detective.

"Are you sure you still want me to be part of your, whole crusade, and stuff?" Tim asked for the hundredth time in the half-hour talk. The little confidence he had faded with the words Wolff Parkinson White.

"Yes, I believe that you will make a good detective. Don't second guess yourself so much. You can go over evidence and read reports and piece together what happened, I know you can do it," Bruce said encouragingly. He couldn't help but be glad that this boy, that was going to take Jason's place wasn't going to be in any danger. He was going to solve cases from the cave and with a little more training he might do some IT work. Bruce hadn't asked if he was good with computers he just assumed that he would be as a teenager.

"I can't be a very good partner to Batman if I'm always stuck in the cave. If I had the heart catheter procedure I could be Robin," Tim mused. Thinking about the heart surgery that would cure WPW it wasn't _that_ dangerous.

"The cardiologist will determine if that's an option. Don't rush into anything just for that reason. You can be useful without a mask," Bruce reminded him, knowing that Alfred and Dick already had. He almost felt guilty for wanting to keep this child safe, as if it could bring Jason back. He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he tried to keep Jason safer. He knew that Jason would have hated staying in the cave and working on reports and doing detective work.

When Bruce showed him the bat-computer Tim took to it like a fish to water. He showed that he could do comms and surveillance without a single problem. Bruce became surer of the fact that twelve-year-olds were safer doing that than being a human target to Gotham's rogues. He would fit right in with the small batfam, he could even bribe some sidekicks to come to Gotham so Tim would feel like a real hero. He didn't like Meta's in his city, but it might be worth it if he could pull together an excuse for them to be there.

* * *

Tim and Alfred were waiting at the airport to pick the Drakes up. Tim was almost shaking with nerves about seeing them. It could be the withdrawals of the caffeine he reasoned, but it felt like nerves. He hated that had to give up coffee, decaf was a sin against nature as far as he was concerned. Leslie had told him more than once that if he gave up coffee he would have fewer episodes of passing out. So Tim reluctantly tried to find an alternative, Alfred had made him a plethora of decaffeinated teas with Tim's favorite being a caffeine-free interpretation of chai, Bengal Spice. It still had a bite but wasn't as bitter as coffee.

Tim started to look at the airplanes landing. It had almost four months since the last time they were in Gotham, his parents that is. Tim was still reeling from the shock of finding out that he wasn't as healthy as he assumed. He couldn't help, but think about how disappointed his mom and dad were he wasn't the perfect son and heir anymore.

"Have you thought about a name for your nighttime endeavors?" Alfred asked.

"Uh, not yet. I never thought I'd really be Robin or meet any of you. I want a name that sounds impressive, edgy you know? I don't want to sound like a twelve-year-old with a heart problem. No offense to Dick, but Robin isn't an impressive name," Tim replied rambling, surprised at the sudden question.

"What about the moniker Stalker?" Alfred suggested. He watched Tim out of the corner of his eye fighting with his hands.

"That would be fitting," Tim replied as he nervously laughed. "I like that, Stalker." He wished that having a new name would somehow make him braver to face his parents.

* * *

Jack and Janet Drake where en route to Gotham within the hour they were informed that Tim had a heart syndrome. Usually, they were too concerned with business to worry about anything besides Tim's grade point average. Four little words changed that: Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome. Leslie set up an appointment with an esteemed cardiologist and with the name Tim Drake he had an appointment within a week. They both scoured the internet for answers the more they read the more it sounded like Tim, easily tired, the fainting that just happened, and being short of breath.

"We are terrible parents," Janet said as she bowed her head thinking about how many times they left Tim in Gotham to go to boarding school or summer camp so they could travel. "What would have happened if it had been something even more serious?" she was worried about Tim, it seemed to make it worse that it was Bruce Wayne that he had been with when he passed out. She could only imagine what he thought about her and Jack as Tim's parent's that didn't have a clue their son lived with a heart condition for twelve years.

Janet had always thought herself a good mother. Tim never went without anything that he needed, they made sure that the school he went to was the best in New Jersey. He didn't want for anything and he certainly understood that she and Jack were pillars in Gotham's elite they couldn't stay home all the time. She had researched medicine that might help control WPW, but all she could find were medicines that Tim could never take, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, it seemed that any medicine that was to slow a too fast heartbeat would stop his heart completely. Other than that if Tim had to have a heart syndrome this one was the one to have. As long as he avoided stress, slept well, and gave up stimulates like caffeine.

Janet looked at Jack and saw that he was flipping through pictures on his phone. He stopped on the one of them in the hospital when Tim was just born. Her hair was a mess the hospital gown was the ugliest thing she'd ever worn, but she had never smiled brighter than that day. Jack was leaning over the bed and was gazing at their baby. When Tim was born Jack's father still ran DI and they had time to just spend with Timothy. Those years were filled with some of the best memories Janet had. Tim was such a lovable baby and it wasn't hard to be the wife of the heir to DI. Life had grown harder when Jack's dad died and they both had more obligations. They hired a nanny full time and they slipped away from the family they once were.

Where did the time go?" Jack asked looking at the younger versions of themselves.

"At least it was caught early enough. We can hire a nutritionist and make sure Tim doesn't undergo too much stress. We'll care less about his grades make sure he gets enough sleep. I can't stop thinking about how much worse it could be," Janet said ignoring the question and focused on what she could do to somehow fix the problem Tim was born with. How did she not know that the child she and Jack thought was such a good heir might have to go on heart-slowing medication or have to have something called a catheter ablation?

"A heart syndrome? I still, I don't understand how we didn't find out until now," Jack confessed rambling, "I always believed that he was just well behaved, never that... there was something wrong."

"We can't put everything on hold and stop our lives, but maybe we could stay in Gotham more," Janet asked as if it was a question.

"We're going with him to the cardiologist tomorrow. We can see what they say then, but staying in Gotham to be near Tim isn't a bad idea," Jack agreed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The procedure Tim mentioned-
> 
> The long-term treatment for WPW syndrome is very often catheter ablation. This procedure involves inserting a tube (catheter) into a vein through a small cut near the groin up to the heart area. When the tip reaches the heart, the small area that is causing the fast heart rate is destroyed using a special type of energy called radiofrequency or by freezing it (cryoablation). This is done as part of an electrophysiologic study (EPS).
> 
> I love comments, tell me what you think about this little chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So far so good.

The ride to Drake manor seemed to take hours in Tim's opinion. He was thankful for Alfred easy chatter on the way to the airport, even if the elderly man now was quiet. His parents were trying to talk to him and it was awkward. How do you talk to people that are constantly gone and come back when they find out you have a heart condition? It was disconcerting to see them act like they really cared. Tim knew that they cared, even if they never talked about it or you know acted like it.

"So Timothy, your mother and I have looked into the catheter ablation. I believe that would be best for you," Jack said as he looked at Janet for approval.

"I go the cardiologist tomorrow. Dr. Kelso is going to see if that's a possibility or not," Tim replied. He wanted the procedure done too. He had done extensive research and it would completely fix the problem. His parents would be less concerned, Bruce and Alfred would see that he could an asset to them, and he wouldn't have to worry about passing out randomly and having tachycardia.

"Your father and I will be going with you to your appointment. We just want you to get better as soon as possible," Janet said as she patted Tim's shoulder lightly.

Tim smiled weakly at the should pat and asked, "How did your trip go?" Hoping that that would change the subject.

"It was amazing, we should take you next time we go. You would love to see the all the artifacts and we could teach you the business side of DI," Jack replied.

"It would be good for you to come along on our next trip. Do you remember when you were little and we used to take you everywhere with us? The zoo, the circus, every dinner party because I couldn't stand to let anyone, but us keep you," Janet reminisced.

"I remember the circus, I still have the photo of us and the Flying Graysons," Tim replied a little freaked out. Jack and Janet didn't talk to him. They didn't talk about when he was small and they certainly never offered to take him with them.

Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome wasn't that bad all of a sudden.

"We should try and find another circus and go back as a family," Jack suggested.

"That's a great idea," Janet seconded.

"The circus closed down. I think it was last year, PETA was saying it was the end of the saddest show on earth. In school, we had to write a paper on how we thought the circus closing would effect coming generations," Tim explained.

"Oh, I didn't know," Jack said, sounding genuine and not irritated for once.

Thankfully they were at Drake Manor before the conversation completely died out.

Alfred wished them goodbye and Tim good luck at his cardiologist appointment. The housekeeper had cleaned the whole house and had supper waiting for them. Jack and Janet still were talking to Tim about weird things, like how he was doing in school, what his favorite subjects were, and colleges he looked at. It wouldn't haven't so awkward if it didn't feel so forced.

Tim was glad when it was late enough when he could go to bed. He and Bruce had talked; Tim wouldn't be Stalker tonight. They was too much risk that he would be discovered gone. Laying in bed Tim was left alone with his thoughts, that lasted for two minutes before he got out the secure comm and put it in his ear. It was nice to hear how patrol was going even if he wasn't apart of it. He listened as Bruce patrolled the business district and caught an office break-in. Dick was in Bludhaven and Barbara had gone back to college so Batman and Batgirl patrolled separate parts of Gotham. Tim hadn't met Barbara in person yet, but he had a tremendous respect for her she didn't need anyone's approval. She was her own hero, and probably always would be. Tim slipped off to sleep with the sound of his mentor and Alfred in his ear.

That morning they quickly ate breakfast and left for the early appointment. The cardiologist was located in a building filled with medical offices specializing in heart problems. They waited to register and after they registered they waited in the area for Dr. Kelso patients. Even with the name Drake attached they waited for an hour to be seen. The hour was filled with Tim texting Ives and playing on his phone trying not to think about how he was the only one under fifty in the waiting area. Janet brought a book and Jack caught up on emails. They were quiet as their thoughts were consumed by what the doctor would say.

Tim's name was called and they went into a room and the nurse weighed and measured Tim. She was quiet as she led them into another room and, "I need you to take your shirt off and roll up your pants," she told him after she took his blood pressure.

Tim took off the shirt and rolled his pants up a little and laid down on the medical examination table. He hated the feeling of being helpless and that's all he felt as the paper beneath him crinkled. Tim held back a flinch as the nurse applied the EKG sticks to his bare skin. It didn't feel right to have the small sticky stickers on his upper arms, legs, and around his traitorous heart. She then deftly hooked the wires to the stickers when she was done she told him, "Lay as still as you can."

He glanced at the EKG read and saw it was the same pattern it showed, to begin with at the Cave, at Leslie's clinic and now.

The nurse unhooked the wires and peeled the stickers off. Jack and Janet tried to talk to her about what she thought, but was only told that "The doctor will be with you shortly to tell you his opinion."

Tim put his shirt back on and then rolled his pants down and put his shoes back on. Jack and Janet seemed on edge as they waited for the doctor. Tim fidgeted with his hands as he tried to not think about what the doctor would or wouldn't say. Then he thought about Stalker and the case Batman left him. He was had almost came up with the answer to the lack of evidence in the murder when the older than middle age doctor came in.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Kelso, Timothy, right?" The doctor introduced himself.

"Yeah, but I prefer Tim," Tim explained.

"Tim, can you explain what happened? Do you know what brought on your episode?" The doctor questioned.

"I was just talking with a friend and passed out. Nothing was going on and I got dizzy and then I was staring at the ceiling," Tim explained as briefly as possible.

"Ok, were you sleeping okay? Are you under a lot of stress?" The doctor started to type on the laptop he brought in.

Tim read over what the doctor typed as non-conspicuously as he could. "I was getting about seven hours of sleep and I had my 8th-grade midterms. I was a little stressed," Tim lied. Midterms were a breeze compared to Robin Boot camp and he was getting about six hours of sleep on a good night.

"Ok and have you ever felt your heart racing? or really pounding?" Dr. Kelso asked.

"Yeah, but I thought everybody did so I never really thought about it," Tim confessed.

"The EKG definitely shows that you have WPW. So you have a few options, first, you can do nothing you aren't having too many problems right now. Second, there is something called catheter ablation it's an out patient procedure that would completely fix it you could exercise and live a normal life. Not doing it has the same risk as doing it. It can go completely fine, your young and will likely recover well, there is the risk of heart attack, stroke, and even death."

Jack and Janet looked at each other and for the first time, it seemed that the full repercussions of Tim's heart condition hit them.

"Or you could do nothing and there is the chance that you could die from sudden cardiac failure. The odds are the same. The third choice is pills, I really don't like putting my young patients on pills. It's something that once you start you can't stop taking for the rest of your life," Dr. Kelso explained before adding, "Do you have any questions?"

"How long is the recovery time for the catheter ablation?" Tim asked.

"It's a week. You would come in early in the morning and then it would only take forty-five minutes for the whole procedure and then spend four hours in recovery. You would be fine to go home after we made sure there was no bleeding. I've done the procedure on plenty of nineteen, twenty-year-olds that go on to lead normal lives. They can drink caffeine and exercise like everyone else." Dr. Kelso answered.

Tim heard the risk, heart attack, stroke, death, but the reward was a normal life. Normal life that meant he could be fully Robin and not just Stalker. Normal that meant living up to his parent's expectations so they would come back to Gotham when he didn't have a heart condition. Normal that meant he could drink coffee that mattered a lot too.

"I have a question, is it safe to do on Tim, he's only twelve," Janet asked looking perplexed at the thought of Tim actually being a child.

"You and your husband would sign a consent form, but it would be safe for him. If you want you could wait until he was older and he could make his own decision. You don't have to make any choices today, think it over as much as you want and you can let my nurse practitioner know what you decide, or you can schedule an appointment for next year. Forty- five years are at the main risk for stroke, heart attacks, and V-fib. Like, I said nothing has to be decided today." Dr. Kelso wrote the name and number on a piece of paper and handed it to Jack.

Tim didn't pay much attention to the rest of the conversion as the Doctor and his parent talked. The doctor could fix it. He could actually be Robin. He briefly wondered if that what Jason felt like when he found out he could be Robin. He couldn't wait to tell Ives, Bruce, Alfred, and Dick. He would still be Stalker until he had undergone the procedure. He started thinking about the possibility that he could run and not get unduly tired and start to really train to be _the terror_ _of the night_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys so you know where I had a job offerish? I got the job! It's full time, I am so excited and nervous to start next Monday. I'm also taking 6 credits online through community college so between working my new 9 to 5 I'll be keeping up with my classes. Updates on the story will probably be on every other Sunday or Saturday. It will probably have at least a few more chapters, around this length. I still can't believe I got the job fresh out of school.


	4. Chapter 4

Tim couldn't keep the smile off his face when he visited the cave to tell them how the appointment with the cardiologist went. His parents had dropped him off as they saw to DI business. Tim had practically begged to stay with Mr. Wayne while they did dropped in at DI.

He texted Bruce and Dick telling them that the cardiologist confirmed that he had WPW, but had wanted to tell them in person that it could be fixed. He wouldn't have to live the rest of his life with a heart condition. Janet and Jack had already made the appointment to have the ablation done in a month. The doctor had repeatedly told them that they could decide at any time they talked it over on the way to Drake Manor and Tim had told him that he thought the reward was greater than the risk. They scheduled the appointment the next day.

Tim was welcomed in Wayne Manor by Alfred who merely took him to the cave where Bruce and Dick were.

"Dr. Kelso said that I would be a good candidate for the ablation procedure. I can get rid of my heart problem! This means that I can be Robin for real and not just Stalker," Tim said words pouring out as he got more excited to share the good news.

"That's great, Tim I know you wanted that," Dick said as he hugged the smaller boy.

"Indeed, it is cause for celebration," Alfred said a smile on his old face.

"When is it scheduled for?" Bruce asked genuinely curious.

"In a month. The doctor was great he answered all my questions and gave the number of the nurse practitioner so we could schedule the procedure. The recovery time is a week as long as I take it easy so I can still heal and be Stalker while I'm training to be Robin," Tim said still excited.

"That's great," Bruce said, the whole keeping this child from danger and mostly death was thrown out the window.

Dick turned to Tim, "After the ablation, I'm going to teach you so much gymnastics and how to fall. It's going to be awesome, little brother," Tim's heart almost stopped. Did Dick think of him as a little brother? Like Jason?

Tim smiled even bigger, Dick was like a real big brother to him. He just didn't think Dick would think the same about him. His whole world changed when met the Bats, mostly for the better.

"Oh, I almost forgot! The park murder, the one where the woman was killed and dropped off at the park mutilated? I figured out who did it while I was in the waiting room," Tim said as pulled up the evidence.

"I knew that her stalker was involved, but the ankle monitor showed him at his house while the body was being dumped. I looked into his ex-girlfriend and she was caught on traffic cameras running a red light in his truck. She helped him get rid of the body they both did it," Tim explained as he got the case file ready to send into the police.

"You are one amazing little Stalker!" Dick said as he read over the file Tim had written the night before. Tim was from Gotham of course, but seeing all the worst of the worst in the case files seemed to hammer it into his head that no one was safe. Bruce had made him go over old files and it surprised him just how cruel the world could really be. It wasn't just the Rouges, which he was prepared for it was the regular people. He saw how high domestic abuse was and how little was done about when the victims didn't press charges.

It was depressing. The more he saw everything wrong in Gotham the more he realized that she needed to be saved. The people that didn't do anything wrong needed to be saved. Batman himself needed saving from the darkness that the city was enveloped in. And Tim could help. Even with a minor heart condition, he wasn't useless he could be comm support and solve cases while Bruce was busy. He was going to be useful.

It hardly seemed like any time had passed when Jack and Janet came back to pick up their 'beloved' son as Janet had phrased it. Tim was still taken back at how changed they were with the proclamation he had Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome. Janet and Jack took him out for lunch at a restaurant he'd never been to and to an outsider it must have looked like a perfect family. Mom, Dad, son, eating and talking together. Tim decided to enjoy it.

His parents were making an effort the least he could do was to try. When they told him about the next trip they had planned for Aruba he was shocked to find out that they had three tickets.

"It's a little treat for you. We got the tickets that way after your procedure we can spend more family time together. It's going to be so much fun to have you along," Janet said as she held Jack's hand in hers.

"That's so cool, I've always wanted to Aruba," Tim lied. He never wanted to go to Aruba, but he never wanted to be alone in Drake manor either.

"After school starts we're going to cut down on the number of trips we take so we can be closer to home and you," Jack said almost gruffly.

"We just canceled a trip to Haiti so we wouldn't be away from you," Janet said proud of her parenting skills.

Tim smiled. How the heck he going to be Robin with real parents that acted like parents? What do you do with parents that are concerned and care about you?

"That's great, I've enjoyed being with you and father," Tim replied as he tried to think of ways to be Robin without making his parents aware of who he really had been spending time with. He was not letting them ever know about Stalker, and never anything about Batman and Nightwing. All his life he wanted to be noticed by his parents in a non-negative way, and he liked them talking to him, and listening to him. Things had just changed so fast in such a quick way that Tim couldn't believe that less than two weeks ago he was feeling like death warmed over because he had an undiagnosed heart condition.

The rest of dinner they talked about a future that had them doing things as a family. That had been what Tim wanted all along. A real family with Jack and Janet noticing him beyond his grades, taking him with them. He didn't think they would offer it so freely to him, with no strings or anything. He didn't have to promise to keep up his grades or make friends with important members of society's children.

He also never thought Robin would be offered to him. Robin who would have to stay in Gotham all the time and lead two lives. Tim decided that nothing in his life was ever going to be easy or non-complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this early update! It's the product of the procrastination on my English homework. On a different note I love working at the doctor's office! My coworkers are nice and they include me in things and it's amazing. I've learned so much. I'm really happy working there.


	5. Chapter 5

Tim sighed as he worked on the case of the man who was murdered and by all points looked like it was done by his son. The murder was especially gruesome and the son, well there was documentation that he was back on drugs and needed a fix. The cash was taken from his dad's restaurant and the insurance policy was hefty enough to be a motive. It didn't take a genius to put it together. Tim was in the last stages of putting all the evidence in a file and sending it to GCPD when his parents knocked on his door.

"Tim, honey, are you ready?" Janet asked.

"I guess, let's get it over with," Tim shut his secured laptop down. It was time. He and his parents had looked at the facilities and they were going to the best heart center in three states. Gotham had the best heart center and the craziest villains that made people have hypertension and more heart problems. It was a really odd place for a heart center unless you knew the people.

He was too wired to notice how hungry he was. Not eating for the ablation procedure was killing him. He got up at 5:00am and they didn't have to leave until 6:30 his nerves were going crazy. The car ride to the hospital was mostly quiet, it didn't seem like any of them were ready for it to happen. Tim had written letters to his mom, dad, Bruce, Dick, Alfred, and Ives in case he died. He didn't tell them that though, because he was being ridiculous. They went to the hospital Cath lab. Tim was brought back and he was given a hospital gown to change into and a bag for his clothes. He quickly changed into them and the bag of clothes were given to his parents by a friendly nurse. Tim meanwhile was started on an IV and laid down on the operating table. The world went black and Tim didn't remember much after it except of needles and laughing. He had his blood drawn for a type and screen days before and had blood on hand in case he needed a transfusion. It started out fine.

Tim woke up and it was fine. He was fine, a little loopy but he came through the procedure like a champion. He was able to talk and answer questions like his name, date of birth, and current year. He was in recovery for six hours with an overnight bag packed in case of complications. The nurses were nice, at least the ones that were checking him.

It was only a few hours later that he started feeling a little _off_ it wasn't a big deal really until it was a big deal. He was being monitored by a nurse, but it wasn't enough because Tim didn't know what blood clots felt like until they killed him. 1000 in 1 chance and he had to be the exception. Life had never been fair to him.

* * *

Tim woke up in a cold sweat. It was just a dream he didn't die from the catheter ablation. He looked at the risks and it was worth it. It was worth it. There was no way he could go back to sleep now, so he decided to work on cases even though he went to bed just a few hours before. Tim repeated to himself, "I'm not going to die. My heart is fine. I'm not that stressed." He didn't know if it helped or not, but it was still lingering in his mind the feeling of the blood thinners not working and a blood clot traveling to his lungs. The procedure was only a week away and nightmares of it going sideways plagued him when ever he was able to sleep. He had read enough about the procedure to know that blood clots were not likely and his dream wasn't that realistic.

Gruesome murders kept his mind off of it until he started thinking about death and how short life actually was. Jason Todd was young the Joker and a crowbar stopped his life. People died all the time. Tim decided to stop that train of thought and look up plans he had to improve Robin uniform. He had plans to redesign his Robin uniform when he was done recuperating. The design he had in mind was in part to make sure that people knew he wasn't Jason, but close enough that it was easy to see that he was Robin. His parents had planned more trips out of the country with him. Bruce told him that it was perfectly acceptable to split his time between being Tim Drake and the third Robin. He was relived to know it, he wasn't sure how long his parents would take him with them.

Tim was trying to learn new languages to help him when he would be Robin and on trips with his parents. It still didn't seem real to him that his parents were going to be taking him on trips with him. Having a heart condition made them have a change of _heart_ Tim thought to himself with a smile as he read over the files on his secured laptop. That morning he went for a walk still trying to clear his head as he thought about everything that was going on in his life and the cases. He almost didn't see his dad come in the exercise room until he spoke up.

"Don't do too much, son. Do you mind if I join you?" Jack asked awkwardly stepping on the elliptical.

"Uh, sure. Dad, I'm just going to walk, not run or anything," Tim answered as he started the treadmill.

"You know your mom and I are just worried. In a way, this is the most time we've spent together. You're a really good kid and I want you to know I'm really proud of you. You've been so calm and brave throughout all this. If you decide that you don't want the procedure done and want to take your chances by eating right and doing light exercises that are alright by us," Jack said as he started to go faster on the elliptical as if he could run away from the conversation.

"Thanks Dad, it's nice knowing I've got an out," Tim said as he thought about what to say next before deciding on, "we've all done the research. I'm young and healthy I want to be like the other kids and not worry about everything being caffeine free and avoiding stress so I don't have heart palpitations. I'll be fine," Tim repeated as he thought to all the dreams he had. He hadn't told anyone about them. It was stupid and there were more important things going on then silly dreams about a heart procedure. The Joker had escaped from Arkham only three days ago and he had been ordered not to touch those files. His mom and dad were making plans for after his procedure.

"I don't know know what your mom and I would do if you weren't fine. My biggest regret in life is leaving you so much. If there's anything I've learned from spending this month with you is that we were stupid for staying away for so long for stupid reasons chasing after the wind and leaving you here with strangers to watch over you. I'm so sorry. I don't know how you could ever forgive us," Jack said as he slowed down on the elliptical.

It's okay, Dad. You and Mom are here now," Tim said keeping his tone even. A part of him was filled with rage, if he never was diagnosed with WPW his parents wouldn't care about him and he would be Robin full time. They would never know, never suspect that he was the Boy Wonder. It was ironic that know when Tim was used to being alone, thrived on being by himself, making his decisions, and years ago he would have killed to hear those words from his dad. Now they sounded like too little too late. He was giving them a chance, but he couldn't fully trust them until he went through the procedure and they didn't leave him again. A part of him wanted to go on trips with them and be a real family, not a picture-perfect family that fell apart when the camera was gone. Tim decided weeks ago that as long as it lasted he would enjoy it even when it made his blood boil when he thought about it too much.

After a shower the Drakes had breakfast together Janet and Jack were going to be at Drake Industries until Tim's school let out and they would pick him up. Tim never realized how weird it was to have clingy parents. Jack and Janet were going to pick him up and take him to the primary care doctor to get blood work done, it was one week out from getting 'fixed'.

Tim through himself in school and tried not to think about getting the procedure done or lab work. He would be fine, he just never liked strangers taking his blood or the whole being seen naked in front of people. He would be Robin and not have to think about it soon. School was over far to soon for Tim's liking Janet drove him to the clinic it didn't take long for Tim to be called back. The phlebotomist was a rather heavy woman who was pleasant enough she finished quickly. Tim was glad to be on the way home. Having the blood drawn seemed to make it real that he was going to have a heart procedure in less than a week.

* * *

Bruce was still grieving that he was losing Stalker and gaining a Robin a few weeks. Stalker was _safe and Robin sought out danger.  
_ Tim seemed to have the danger magnet down. Logically Bruce knew that the procedure was safe, but Bruce didn't have to like it. Jack and Janet were taking care of him, but Bruce wondered if it would last after Tim's procedure. He was such a good kid he didn't deserve to be a afterthought or left behind for things his parent wanted more. Bruce had always taken his, and both his sons health for granted. Jason had been in need of vaccinations and consistent good food, but other than that he was healthy. Dick was always a healthy child the most injuries he had received as Robin and not Dick Grayson. Bruce always felt guilty for every bruise and broken bone Robin got.

Bruce prayed that Tim would be okay. He couldn't stand to lose another person he loved. In the short time he knew Tim he manged to wiggle his way into his family and life, not just the crusade. Tim would have to be alright. In a week it would be all over. Bruce couldn't wait until it was over. He had been doubling his patrols and making sure the rogues were quiet around anywhere near hospitals. He made sure to caught the Joker and any other rogue that wouldn't have qualms about attacking hospitals. He would watch out for Tim the best way Batman could as a silent protector and (a freaked out) Bruce Wayne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally finished writing this morning and posted. I will go back and edit later. The next update shouldn't take as long as this one did.


	6. Chapter 6

The morning of Tim's procedure he was completely calm. He knew it wasn't a dream and that no amount of worrying would change the outcome of his heart procedure. Jack and Janet were in the front seats of the most modest car they owned. Tim was tired and not hungry at all even though he barely ate any supper the night before. He was almost glad that he had to come fasting he was pretty sure if he had eaten anything that he wouldn't have kept it down. The drive to Gotham Memorial Heart Center was the shortest he had experienced. The parking lot was littered with nurses that were coming in to start the beginning of their long shift. The sun was coming up with the Gotham smog and clouds blocking it out.

The walk inside the hospital was uneventful with someone pointing them to registration. They walked to the semi-private booth number seven where they were registered. Tim was given am armband and the lady at the booth, her name tag read something like Marjory or Margret. She went through questions for Tim and his parents, what kind of insurance did they have which adult was going to sign for him on the papers and the like. Marjory or Margret then instructed them to the second-floor waiting room.

Tim and his parents rode the elevator to the second floor in silence. The second floor was empty as they sat in the neutral colored chairs in the pale colored rooms. An older couple walked in just a few minutes later they looked around the large waiting area until they settled on chairs across from the Drakes. The woman fussed over her husband until he told her to stop. As the minutes ticked by Tim was called back by a rather heavy set woman who introduced herself as his nurse for the day, Lilly. She brought him back to a recovery room where she instructed him to take off his clothes and put on a hospital gown that positively swamped him. Tim sighed, here began the point of no return so many people were going to see him naked today.

Lilly asked if he was ready and Tim lied when he replied, "Yes."

She walked in and started to explain what would happen she would need to start an IV and shave him. Down there. He knew it was coming, but his twelve-year-old pride hurt at the thought of being shaved down there. Lily started slowly by taking the gown down and exposing his upper half littering his albeit small chest with stickers. That wasn't so bad. The ceiling suddenly became very interesting when the gown came back up and the lower half was raised. Tim never hated the sound of an electric razor more. It was somehow better if he didn't look. He kept thinking back to all the school talks about "good touch - bad touch" talks. When it was over Lily started an IV in his left arm. He never had an IV before and it was a rather odd feeling to have a small piece of medical grade steel inserted in the crook of his elbow. That went on the list of things to stop thinking about.

His parents came back to the recovery room to talk to him before the doctor came. This was all happening so much faster than Tim had first believed. He'd barely been there an hour and he'd been shaved and an IV started.

"When you come back you'll have to lay flat for a few hours. I'll start to raise the bed after a few hours and make sure you're doing alright. I'll get you some lunch too. How does turkey and stuffing sound to you?" Lilly asked cheerfully.

Tim didn't care he wanted the procedure done and not have to worry about his heart condition anymore instead of saying that he replied politely with, "It sounds fine."

In almost no time at all he was brought back to the Cath lab an OR nurse named Amy according to her name tag wheeled him in on the bed. It was odd to stare at the ceiling and watch the florescent lights go by. Amy was talking to him explaining what was going to happen he realized suddenly.

"-it shouldn't take but ten or fifteen minutes to get the medicine right," Amy finished.

Tim didn't catch any of that, but the more he knew about it the less he wanted to know about it. The Cath lab was freezing until one of the many nurses turned on the heated blanket under him on the operating table. The gown was brought down again and a nurse attached wires to all the stickers on his chest. Another nurse took his wrist and started to talk to him.

"Don't worry honey, I'm just going to take and put this on your wrist in case you try to move under the anesthesia," the nurse attached a foam-like handcuff to him, "A lot of people do it it's just a precaution. I'm Sarah if you need anything just let me know."

Tim nodded in response. The foam handcuffs made him feel trapped he could feel the anesthesia kicking in as he started to fall asleep.

The next thing he knew he could feel pressure being put on his groin region. He felt funny like he could hear nurses talking, but it didn't make sense to him. Tim closed his eyes again.

When he woke up again he was in the same place that he'd started out at recovery room number four. Lily was there she flipped the blanket and gown back and pressed the twin bandages he was wearing, "I'm just checking your sites, honey" she explained. That was sore, it was not a sharp pain it was something more akin to uncomfortable he was sure it would hurt if he didn't have pain medicine coursing through his veins.

"Ok, Sweetie, do you feel up to seeing your mom and dad? They're anxious to see you," Lily asked as she put his gown back in place and tucked the blanket around him.

"Yeah, I can see 'em now," Tim mumbled still feeling off from the anesthesia.

Jack and Janet walked in silently and Tim managed a lopsided grin, "I made it."

"How do you feel, Tim?" Jack asked as he looked at his pale son and felt like he could finally breathe again.

"Sore and tired. How long was I out?" Tim wondered out loud, as he moved his left arm to be covered under the white hospital regulation blanket.

"You were back there for about three hours. Doctor Kelso said that the whole ablation took forty-five minutes, but they had to get the pain medicine just right and map where it was at and make sure that it was fixed for good," Janet replied as she smoothed down some of his hair that was sticking up before sitting down and holding his hand.

Jack and Janet talked to Tim for a bit in hushed tones before Dr. Kelso walked in. He was smiling as he greeted the Drakes, "How do you feel, Tim?"

"Tired," Tim replied.

"That's normal. The procedure was very boring and routine you are completely fixed. You can drink as much coffee and tea as you want now. When you go home starting tomorrow I want you to start taking baby aspirin and to take short walks every few hours. This keeps down the chances of blood clots. You did really good through the procedure, but I still want you to take it easy for at least a week. If you want to go out with friends to a movie that's ok, but if you need to take a nap do it. Listen to what your body tells you. Your bandages can come off tomorrow at one. and you can take a shower then too, no baths for a week. If your legs get cold and turn purple call 911 immediately. If you have any questions you can call here and they will answer them for you. Mom, Dad, Tim do you have any question?" Dr. Kelso asked as he looked at them.

"Is there any chance that this could happen again?" Janet asked.

"There is a chance that it could grow back. If Tim ever feels like it has an EKG will show it and it can be fixed again. I have the before and after EKGs to show you what we did." He then held up two sheets of paper that had EKGs on them, "The first one shows thick lines and going down where they should be going up, the second one looks exactly like a health EKG. Thin lines going up and down as they should."

Jack thanked Dr. Kelso before he turned and left. Tim fell asleep without meaning to the sounds of the hospital drowned out by how tired he found himself to be. He woke up a few times before going back to sleep again. Lilly came by with the food she promised and raised the hospital bed enough for him to eat, but not enough for it to not be awkward. In the end, Janet had to feed him he couldn't do it by himself and not raise up any. It was awkward to have to stay flat and not move.

Between sleeping and being raised up every few hours, Lily gave them some more instructions for when he went home. She told them that he could go home at 4:00 pm and to just take it easy. He wasn't supposed to go up any steps, pick up anything that weighed more than ten pounds, and to keep an eye on the places on his groin. Keep them clean and make sure they didn't get hot or drain any.

Janet promised she would keep an eye on them and Tim turned bright red. He didn't want his mom seeing 'everything' it was weird. The rest of the time he slept on and off. Tim's blood pressure dropped suddenly once freaked Jack and Janet out as they pushed the call button. Lilly was there in minutes and explained that it was common for people to do after a catheter ablation when Wolff Parkinson White was involved. It would take 48 hours for Tim's body to adjust to not having an extra AV node. Lily explained that he could experience high and low blood pressure during that time, but it was perfectly normal.

Tim thought numbly about the lengths he went to work for free to be a sidekick. It was going to be worth it. Stalker had a few more months of work before he could go through real Robin training. Bruce had talked about him going to Paris and learning there with Lady Shiva he had a vague idea of who she was and she already scared him a little. He couldn't wait to be fully recovered and start training. His parents wouldn't know that the real reason he wanted the ablation done if he had anything to say about the matter.

4:00 pm came and Tim was ready to get into real close and out of a pale paisley hospital gown. He slowly got dressed in the loose pants and shirt he packed with some help from Janet. It wasn't long before he was discharged from the hospital and in the car. He had to fold up his jacket and lay it across his lap so the seat belt wouldn't rub the small places on his groin.

That night he slept in a guest room so he wouldn't have to go upstairs to his room. He slept well even though he was sore as hell. The next morning he woke up and was still sore and tired. It was hard to be upset about being sore when he knew that he was fixed. He didn't have a heart condition anymore. Bruce stopped by in the afternoon carrying in pasta bake that Alfred pre-made. Tim greeted him shyly acutely aware of the basketball shorts with a Batman logo and the tee short that was also sporting a Batman logo.

"How do you feel Tim?" Bruce asked.

"Good, a little tired, a little sore," Tim replied.

"That's good. I'm glad you're doing well. Dick wishes he could come and visit, but you know how things are in Bludhaven," Bruce winked. Tim knew that Nightwing had been busy with a gang that was relentless. Tim hadn't expected Dick to come at all, but it was nice to know that he didn't forget about him. Bruce stayed for an hour and talked with the whole Drake family. He and Tim had talked that Bruce needed to be close friends with his parents so they trusted him more. As Bruce was leaving he leaned down to give Tim a hug, "Hope you feel better soon, Robin."

Tim did completely recover within in a week he was feeling like a whole new person with energy that he couldn't believe he lived without. At three weeks Tim started to work towards Robin's physique. In two months Robin was on the streets of Gotham part-time and Tim Drake was traveling with his parents all around the globe part-time. Tim was the happiest he had ever been in his life with the two families he had slowly become a part of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> This story was the most personal story I've ever shared because in August of this year I got diagnosed with WPW and that made me really depressed I always thought I was healthy and that was like a slap in the face. I wrote this because I felt helpless and writing this made me feel better. I was nineteen years old and I decided that my heart condition wasn't going to get me down. I wrote that Jack and Janet as better parents because I had some people that I thought didn't like me start to treat me a lot better, even now. I got the catheter ablation done after weeks of talking to the insurance company and Doctors office. So like Tim in my AU I'm fixed! (My cardiac doctor really did tell me I was fixed. I love not having a heart condition anymore.)

**Author's Note:**

> Here are some links if you want to know more about Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome.
> 
> diseases-conditions/wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20354626
> 
> heart-disease/what-is-wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome#1


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